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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. root — of a word
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. face — part of the head
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. face — to confront

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