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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. root — of a word
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cell — a phone

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