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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. content — the amount
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — a cake
  11. root — the cause
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — a price
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — in control
  21. mug — a face
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — happy

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