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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. game — wild animals
  3. root — of a word
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. game — a match
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ground — the earth

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