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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — the cause
  4. net — after costs
  5. last — finally
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. last — final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — happening now
  20. last — to go on
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — for catching
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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