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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: temple · rush · last · wake · leaves · prune · stock · club

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — final
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. stock — shares
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. club — a group
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for golf

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