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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · face · spell · stick · nail · game · lean · root

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — a match
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — wild animals
  20. face — part of the head
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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