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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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 — of a word
  2. cap — of ice
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chest — a box
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mate — a friend
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — the cause
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chest — of your body
  13. roll — a list
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — steady
  20. suit — clothes
  21. root — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. face — part of the head
  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