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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. row — a line
  8. root — the cause
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — to paddle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. root — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. perch — the fish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — of a word

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