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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — to be able to
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — all right
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. staff — a stick
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — of a word
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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