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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a grade
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to confront
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. last — final
  21. squash — to crush
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — to go on
  24. mark — to pay attention

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