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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — to confront
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — of a plant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. foot — the bottom

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