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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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468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. root — of a word
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. root — the cause
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a line
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — lets stay

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