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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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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: capital · prune · saw · bulb · bay · bank · wound · temple

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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