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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fine — high quality
  22. face — part of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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