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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: mug · bear · face · nail · pit · root · cold · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. root — the cause
  5. mug — a cup
  6. face — to confront
  7. cold — not warm
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a word
  21. pit — in a race
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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