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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chest — a box
  7. face — to confront
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. face — to point toward

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