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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cap — of ice
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — a hat
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. face — to point toward
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. content — the amount
  24. root — of a word

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