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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 116 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: hand · mate · root · bowl · pit · perch · face · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. root — the cause
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — magic
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — a partner
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — in cards
  22. face — to confront
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pit — in a race

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