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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to confront
  9. roll — a list
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. root — of a plant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — of a word
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — a sick person

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