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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — boats
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rest — a break
  13. cell — in biology
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — of a word
  24. bark — of a tree

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