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

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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