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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.

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: bat · face · prune · root · rash · ruler · scale · craft

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. face — to confront
  2. bat — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — boats
  12. root — the cause
  13. scale — in music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — a series
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  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