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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 · suit · field · root · deal · key · row · rest

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. suit — in cards
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — to fit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. suit — clothes
  8. deal — to handle
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. field — farmland
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — a break
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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