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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. face — to point toward
  2. fall — the season
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — to tease
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kid — child
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a music group
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a song
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  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