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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — of a word
  4. current — of water
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cap — a hat
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. content — happy
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — hurry
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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