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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: squash · trunk · rush · fall · temple · bore · sharp · season

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. squash — to crush
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — hurry
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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