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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — to confront
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. race — a contest
  9. pop — to visit
  10. land — ground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — to point toward
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — to come down
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. land — a country

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