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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — happy
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — a cup
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mug — a face
  16. tear — to rip
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. root — of a word
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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