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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: mate · face · prune · roll · cabinet · track · saw · lean

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. roll — a list
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — a partner
  12. roll — a cake
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — to bend
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. track — to keep track
  24. face — to confront

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