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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. key — the most important part
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — to roll

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