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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. content — the amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cold — not warm
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cold — an illness
  22. key — the most important part
  23. dip — to sink
  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