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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: face · firm · rash · stick · object · spring · root · tear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — a thing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — to protest
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — a coil
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — of a word
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spring — of water
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — an aim

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