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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tear — from crying
  20. land — ground
  21. squash — to crush
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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