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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. face — part of the head
  8. root — of a word
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — help
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — the fish
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — in cards
  24. snap — to click

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