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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: face · game · suit · season · wave · prune · leaves · pound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pound — a weight
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. leaves — lets stay

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