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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — for betting
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. capital — a city
  22. snap — to click
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. nail — for a hammer

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