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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. root — the cause
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — of a word
  18. face — to confront
  19. bound — tied together
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — for a hammer

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