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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · cell · prune · leaves · fork · tear

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — a phone
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — a garden tool

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