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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rest — a break
  3. current — happening now
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — happy
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a word
  18. current — of water
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. content — the amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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