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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. face — to confront
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. face — part of the head
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. game — a match
  21. capital — money
  22. face — to point toward
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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