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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. root — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — clothes
  8. track — a path
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — a song
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. game — a match

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