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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pound — a weight
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to sink

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