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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — of a word
  7. degree — from a university
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — temperature
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — an amount
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — the fish

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