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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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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: face · arm · root · chair · ground · fork · scale · lie

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — part of the head
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — in music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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