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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — a face
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to sink
  24. face — to confront

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