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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.

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: content · prune · stand · drill · bulb · face · saw · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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