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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. capital — a city
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — of a word
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to point toward
  15. shower — rain
  16. lean — to bend
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. firm — a company
  19. swing — to play on
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — part of the head
  23. swing — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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