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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. root — of a word
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — the season
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spring — a coil
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — a break
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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