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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — soda
  4. spell — a short time
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — of a plant
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chip — for betting
  11. root — of a word
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — to eat
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. shower — rain

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