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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in biology
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — a phone
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing

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