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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. object — a thing
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — for catching
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — of a word
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. scale — size or range
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — to breed

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