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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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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: fall · snap · temple · prune · rush · trunk · bank · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a tree

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