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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a plant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. march — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. face — to point toward
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — hasty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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