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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · last · face · chest · prune · cap · scale · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. last — finally
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chest — of your body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to confront
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — to go on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  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