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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — music
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — in a race
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — the cause
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — soda
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — for spectators

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