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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — of a word
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. band — a ring
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  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