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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · press · last · face · spring · bay · lie · jam

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — finally
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — to go on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. press — to push
  21. spring — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. last — final
  24. press — newspapers

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