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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — in a road
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. drill — army training
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — of a word
  19. content — the amount
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — to confront
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a music group

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