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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rest — a break
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — on a finger

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