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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. content — happy
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tear — to rip
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pit — in a race

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