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

Word bank: wave · rock · ground · lie · stand · face · arm · root

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — the earth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. arm — 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