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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 just a dried plum.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. face — to confront
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — the time now
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. track — to keep track
  20. firm — a company
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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