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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. suit — clothes
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — a measure
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — in cards
  12. root — of a word
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — low music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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