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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. net — for catching
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. band — a music group
  16. face — to confront
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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