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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — a list
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a plant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. object — an aim
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. root — of a word
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — to protest
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rock — music

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