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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. root — the cause
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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