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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: cabinet · prune · rest · face · mug · squash · fine · fall

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — a face
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — a break
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

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