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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — a division
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hide — animal skin

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