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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: deal · drill · rock · mate · leaves · wave · temple · prune

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — a place of worship

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