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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — final
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. root — the cause
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. root — of a word
  24. leaves — to go away

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