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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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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: prune · cap · face · temple · can · perch · board · root

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — to get on
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to confront
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — the fish
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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