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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — decided
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rock — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — a company
  19. content — happy
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. sharp — clever

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