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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to confront
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — after costs
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — help
  21. net — in sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. root — the cause

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