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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — the cause
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. face — part of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rock — music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — a stone
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — the amount
  19. root — of a word
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — for digging
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a grade

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