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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — in music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to confront
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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