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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. current — happening now
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spring — the season
  6. root — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — to breed
  18. race — a contest
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cabinet — ministers

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