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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — a phone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — of a river
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — in biology

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