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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. deal — to handle
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — to tease
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — to point toward
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — a trail
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. squash — to crush
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. kid — child
  24. content — happy

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