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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lean — thin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. content — the amount
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chip — for betting
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. toast — bread
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lean — to rest against

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