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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. roll — a cake
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — a measure
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — to confront

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