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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 · prune · field · club · mouse · hide · root · season

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — for sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. field — a subject
  8. face — to confront
  9. season — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — for golf
  14. field — farmland
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — the cause
  18. club — a group
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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