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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 · bear · cap · mug · hide · land · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. land — to come down
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — a country
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a face
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — ground
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a cup

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