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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mine — for digging
  5. root — of a plant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. root — of a word
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pop — soda
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pop — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — happy
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. calf — a young animal

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