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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: rock · pass · prune · chair · pitcher · last · foot · face

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — to confront
  7. last — to go on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. last — final
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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