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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — part of the head
  23. root — the cause
  24. bulb — of a plant

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