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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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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: row · cue · mug · spell · lean · root · bat · face

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — letters
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — the cause
  11. face — to point toward
  12. row — to paddle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — magic
  15. root — of a word
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — to confront
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — a signal

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