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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: saw · face · land · wound · fan · bulb · root · leaves

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — a country
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wound — an injury

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