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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. court — of law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rash — a series
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — to eat
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — for sport
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bore — to tire
  20. root — of a word
  21. craft — boats
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bore — to drill

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