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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: temple · capital · cue · bear · stand · prune · foot · hide

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cue — a hint
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a city
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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