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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — for paper
  6. content — happy
  7. root — of a word
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — certain
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. root — the cause
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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