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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to point toward
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ball — a dance
  8. present — there
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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