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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: prune · fan · wake · fall · bound · temple · coach · mark

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mark — a grade

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