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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — a thing
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — bread
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — a part of something

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