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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — of a word
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. band — a music group
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — the cause
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — for betting
  18. land — ground
  19. cap — a hat
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. land — to come down
  24. face — to confront

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