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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — money
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — a measure
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. leaves — to go away

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