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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.

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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: game · stem · rest · leaves · pound · root · face · arm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. face — part of the head
  4. root — of a word
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — to confront
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — of a tree

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