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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — a hint
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — for pool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stem — to come from

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