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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: mug · bear · squash · prune · temple · stem · file · pitcher

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a document
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a face
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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