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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — to confront
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. dip — to dunk

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