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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. date — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — the cause
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a word
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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