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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. roll — a list
  7. plane — a tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a trace
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cap — a lid

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