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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: prune · pitcher · root · present · squash · file · face · safe

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a line of people
  13. squash — the sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. file — a document
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — to crush
  21. face — part of the head
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — of a plant

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