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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to confront
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. drill — army training
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. root — of a plant

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