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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · root · hide · wound · face · march · foot · plane

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. root — of a word
  10. tear — to rip
  11. face — to point toward
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. root — the cause
  24. face — to confront

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