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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — of a word
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — high quality
  5. root — of a plant
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — a skill
  14. root — the cause
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — letters
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. fine — all right
  24. face — part of the head

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