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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — to confront
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a word
  16. foot — a measure
  17. root — the cause
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. racket — for tennis

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