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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 120 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.

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: kick · saw · face · rash · board · fan · pit · root

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pit — in a race
  15. board — to get on
  16. root — the cause
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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