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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. root — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — of a word
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — the earth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — crushed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. root — the cause
  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