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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: wake · last · temple · jam · mug · prune · present · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — the time now
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — there
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mug — a face
  8. present — a gift
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — a cup
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wake — a trail
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — final
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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