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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fall — the season
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ground — a position
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — a break
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — a big deal

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