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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — clothes
  8. content — the amount
  9. last — final
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — a position
  12. present — there
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. last — to go on
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. face — part of the head
  22. content — happy
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — to recline

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