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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. root — the cause
  4. last — final
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. root — of a word
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — the amount
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. foot — a measure
  24. safe — out of danger

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