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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — the cause
  4. ball — a great time
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. track — a song
  7. wake — a trail
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. face — to confront
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a dance
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — to wash

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