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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — a price
  3. mark — a trace
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a cake
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — of a word
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — the season
  15. face — part of the head
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to confront
  18. firm — decided
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — a coil
  21. firm — a company
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — of a plant

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