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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — a series
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. perch — for a bird

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