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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 · wind · pass · lean · hand · root · prune · rash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. rash — a series
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — part of the head
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lean — thin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — to confront
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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