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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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468
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: current · cell · suit · prune · tube · temple · cap · stem

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — a container
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — to come from
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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