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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — of a word
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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