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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — rain
  6. content — happy
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — to wash
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. content — the amount
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — a trace
  24. root — of a plant

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