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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 · stock · face · last · prune · key · perch · bear

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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. face — to confront
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — final
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — a soup base

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