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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. object — to protest
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — final
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — rain
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — in football
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. root — the cause

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