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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: temple · track · rest · last · tube · cabinet · prune · fine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. last — finally
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — to keep track
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — a break
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — a container

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