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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: firm · cap · cell · saw · prune · deal · arm · temple

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — to handle
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cap — a hat
  6. firm — decided
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cap — a lid
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — a company
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in biology
  24. saw — the tool

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