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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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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: row · race · face · bear · pitcher · toast · trunk · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. race — the arms race
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. face — to point toward
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. face — to confront
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. face — part of the head

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