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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — of a word
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — in football
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. track — to keep track
  17. face — to confront
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — in music
  22. root — the cause
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — part of the head

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