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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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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: board · cap · deal · fall · face · snap · prune · foot

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a lid
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — part of the head
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — the bottom

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