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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: saw · wound · cell · stock · prune · plane · temple · content

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — happy
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. content — the amount
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wound — an injury
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. plane — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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