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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — part of the head
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — of a word

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