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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: deal · face · hide · fall · leaves · prune · spring · march

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — the season
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — to confront
  17. march — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — a big deal

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