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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 120 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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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: object · prune · face · saw · pass · track · bear · hand

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to confront
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — a permit
  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