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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a document
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a line of people
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — part of the head
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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