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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — a list
  6. face — to confront
  7. pop — to visit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. roll — a cake
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — of ice
  12. root — of a word
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — the cause
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. root — of a plant

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