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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. track — a path
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. last — final

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