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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. root — of a word
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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