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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: bound · coach · root · lean · fan · bulb · ruler · face

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to confront
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. face — part of the head
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — to point toward
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — thin
  22. bound — certain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — obliged

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