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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — of a plant
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stand — to bear
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — low music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the fish
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — not warm

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