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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mate — a friend
  3. scale — size or range
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bore — to drill
  24. prune — to trim

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