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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to confront
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — to point toward
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — government
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — a law
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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