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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: hide · ruler · plane · content · prune · temple · season · rush

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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