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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.

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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — a contest
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. snap — to click
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. race — the arms race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — for catching

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