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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: deal · cell · bay · bear · face · squash · present · root

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — there
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — the time now

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