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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — to confront
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — of a word
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to point toward
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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