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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. root — of a word
  3. key — in music
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spell — magic
  11. drill — a practice
  12. root — of a plant
  13. snap — to click
  14. face — to confront
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — for a lock
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — a short time
  24. face — to point toward

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