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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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468
Word bank
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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to point toward
  7. root — of a word
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. root — the cause

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