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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: club · root · spell · leaves · face · lean · wound · row

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — a group
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — the cause
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. face — part of the head
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. root — of a plant
  18. row — a line
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lean — to bend
  22. club — for dancing
  23. face — to confront
  24. wound — an injury

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