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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · root · mate · face · straw · suit · chest · current

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. current — of water
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — of a word
  11. face — part of the head
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — a box
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. spell — letters
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — a friend
  23. root — the cause
  24. face — to confront

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