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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — the amount
  5. hand — help
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — a container
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — the underground
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — to protest
  24. root — of a plant

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