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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — of a word
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rule — government
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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