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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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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: ball · face · deal · mate · cap · toast · prune · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a friend
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — there
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. toast — bread
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a hat
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — to handle
  24. face — part of the head

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