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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. kick — in football
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bound — obliged
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — certain
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mate — a friend
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to confront
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to point toward

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