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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. root — of a word
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — a thing
  10. face — part of the head
  11. root — the cause
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stem — to come from
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lean — to bend
  19. capital — a city
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — an aim
  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