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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. can — a tin
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. temple — a place of worship

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