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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rock — a stone

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