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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — happy
  6. root — of a word
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a music group
  9. plane — a tool
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — the amount
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — in geometry

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