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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.

Make a worksheet

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: roll · temple · row · bass · prune · saw · cell · fan

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bass — low music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — a line
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a list
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bass — the fish
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. roll — a cake
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — in biology
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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