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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — the cause
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — a list
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. root — of a plant
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a word
  17. roll — a cake
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — to point toward

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