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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — a stone
  17. content — the amount
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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