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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: shower · wake · foot · arm · rock · fine · root · face

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. root — the cause
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. shower — rain
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. shower — to wash
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a plant
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a word
  23. rock — music
  24. face — to point toward

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