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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — a big deal

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