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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: prune · arm · bear · face · tube · content · mate · dip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — happy
  15. mate — a friend
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the 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