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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — of a word
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — the cause
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to confront
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — of a tree

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