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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — a hat
  3. land — to come down
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. charge — a price
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — in control
  17. land — ground
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — of ice

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