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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: fall · foot · bulb · mug · root · stand · pit · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mug — a face
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. root — of a word
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — part of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — to bear

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