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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: ball · mark · prune · foot · lean · rush · shower · temple

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lean — to bend
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. shower — to wash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. prune — to trim

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