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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — to confront
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a committee

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