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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. face — to confront
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to click
  6. face — to point toward
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. toast — bread
  9. root — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — in a race
  12. object — an aim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — to protest
  15. pass — a permit
  16. land — to come down
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — ground
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. land — a country

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