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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — part of the head
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spell — a short time
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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