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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · prune · fall · pop · temple · shower · patient · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fall — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com