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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — in a race
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — magic
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — letters
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — to confront
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. face — to point toward
  24. leaves — of a tree

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