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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 116 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: prune · net · can · content · face · swing · leaves · fall

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. content — the amount
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — for catching
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to point toward
  15. can — to be able to
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — in sport
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. net — after costs

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