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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — child
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. club — for golf
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kid — to tease
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — music
  23. club — a group
  24. wound — an injury

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