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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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468
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: root · tube · hide · nail · face · chest · rock · wound

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — music
  5. face — to confront
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a word
  21. tube — a container
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chest — a box

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