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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hand — help
  4. key — the most important part
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — of a word
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. key — in music

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