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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. face — part of the head
  3. root — of a word
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — in music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. key — the most important part
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kick — in football
  23. root — the cause
  24. mine — belonging to me

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