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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to click
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a plant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — a sick person

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