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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: prune · rush · temple · wound · mouse · wind · stock · date

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stock — goods
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stock — shares
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  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