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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: face · cue · ball · spring · prune · hide · perch · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. toast — bread
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spring — of water
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. spring — a coil
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a hint
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — for pool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  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