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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: hand · rush · track · perch · root · pass · face · craft

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — to point toward
  6. root — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — help
  12. root — of a word
  13. hand — in cards
  14. track — a song
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — a path
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — the cause

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