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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. root — the cause
  4. chest — a box
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. content — the amount
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — thin
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bore — to tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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