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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: cell · mark · wound · face · plane · present · pass · prune

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — a gift
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to point toward
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — there
  11. wound — an injury
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. present — the time now
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cell — in a prison

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