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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · ball · chair · toast · face · mine · nail · land

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — the cause
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. land — to come down
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — ground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — a leader
  22. toast — bread
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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