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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: root · scale · chair · rest · land · deal · cell · face

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — what's left
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — in music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — of a word
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. land — to come down
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — size or range

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