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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. present — a gift
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — the amount
  16. present — the time now
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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