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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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468
Word bank
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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bound — obliged
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — a break
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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