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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — a gift
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — there
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — the time now

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