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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a ring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. race — a contest
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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