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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — a stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. root — of a word
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. kick — in football
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — music
  24. root — the cause

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