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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rock — a stone
  11. scale — size or range
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. scale — in music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rock — music

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