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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
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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: face · tube · mate · spring · root · safe · mine · cap

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — for digging
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. spring — of water
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. mate — a partner
  24. face — to confront

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