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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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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 · mark · cue · perch · race · foot · dip · root

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — humankind
  4. foot — a measure
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. perch — the fish
  17. race — a contest
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. root — of a word
  21. dip — to sink
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. face — to confront
  24. cue — a signal

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