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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a song
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a word
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — the fish
  16. track — a path
  17. root — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to confront
  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