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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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Word bank
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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: race · arm · prune · cap · fan · face · spell · lean

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. race — the arms race
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. race — humankind
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lean — to bend
  24. prune — to trim

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