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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.

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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: rule · temple · snap · rush · object · mine · bore · prune

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. object — an aim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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