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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — happy
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. row — to paddle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. arm — a part of something

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