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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. face — to point toward
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. root — the cause
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. face — part of the head
  19. field — a subject
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — for sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to confront
  24. bore — to tire

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