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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — hurry
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — final
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chest — of your body

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