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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: root · mark · face · field · cap · rock · spring · lean

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. face — to point toward
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — for sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — a coil
  24. field — farmland

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