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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — of ice
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cap — a lid
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. scale — in music
  15. root — of a word
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — a part of something

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