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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — rain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a ring
  14. shower — to wash
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. root — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — of a word
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — for a hammer

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