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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a lid
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. root — the cause
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — a signal
  24. root — of a plant

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