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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. root — of a word
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — the cause
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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