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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a dance
  9. board — a committee
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tear — to rip
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cell — a phone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. face — to confront
  18. plane — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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