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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · face · race · cabinet · game · present · prune · bear

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. race — the arms race
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to point toward
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. present — there
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — a trace
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — a gift
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. face — part of the head

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