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

Word bank: kid · last · suit · leaves · tube · prune · bowl · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — a container
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kid — child
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. last — to go on
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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