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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a plant
  10. face — to confront
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to point toward
  13. land — ground
  14. face — part of the head
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a word
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — part of the body

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