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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — to wash
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — rain
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. degree — an amount
  12. face — to confront
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — of the year
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — temperature
  19. root — of a word
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — from a university

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