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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
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: bear · lie · face · drill · deal · root · sharp · fan

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lie — to recline

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