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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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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: face · sharp · spring · chair · root · fine · band · pitcher

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — the cause
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — the season
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. band — a music group
  24. fine — all right

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