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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 · straw · shower · temple · date · prune · can · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — rain
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. shower — to wash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. prune — to trim
  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