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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. face — to confront
  5. toast — bread
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pass — a permit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. root — the cause
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a word
  19. lean — thin
  20. kick — in football
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lean — to bend

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