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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. can — to be able to
  8. roll — a list
  9. root — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. roll — a cake
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — the amount
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rest — a break

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