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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. root — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. spell — magic
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — bread
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. content — the amount
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — of a word
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. suit — to fit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stem — to come from

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