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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — part of the head
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fall — to drop
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — the season
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. march — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a great time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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