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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 120 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: spell · mate · mark · bat · face · root · drill · lean

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. root — the cause
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bat — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lean — thin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. mate — a friend
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

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