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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. face — part of the head
  4. field — farmland
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. root — of a word
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — in football
  10. last — to go on
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — a subject
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — to point toward

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