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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. face — to confront
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — to trim
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. row — a line
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — part of the head

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