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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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: temple · arm · cap · squash · bulb · plane · spell · prune

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — a short time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. squash — to crush
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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