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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — the cause
  8. present — there
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — part of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. cold — not warm
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. face — to confront
  24. cold — an illness

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