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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: saw · fine · face · lean · march · prune · degree · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fine — high quality
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — music
  17. degree — temperature
  18. face — to point toward
  19. degree — from a university
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lean — thin
  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