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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — to recline
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — happy
  17. face — to confront
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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