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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. drill — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. root — the cause
  19. bass — the fish
  20. face — part of the head
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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