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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. root — the cause
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pop — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — on a finger

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