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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — there
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pop — to visit
  6. face — to confront
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. present — the time now
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pop — soda
  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