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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: track · stick · rash · saw · temple · prune · spell · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — to keep track
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — a series
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — a path
  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