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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — to recline
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. key — the most important part

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