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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.

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: dip · bass · arm · plane · prune · content · leaves · temple

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. content — happy
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — the amount
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bass — the instrument

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