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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — size or range
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. content — happy

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