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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. content — the amount
  4. present — the time now
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — the cause
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — the fish

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