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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to point toward
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mug — to rob
  7. face — to confront
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mug — a face
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. lean — to bend

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