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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · prune · leaves · tube · spell · temple · wave · capital

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — letters
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — magic
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. capital — a city
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. capital — money

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