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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rule — a law
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. foot — a measure
  14. root — of a word
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. roll — a cake
  19. key — in music
  20. roll — a list
  21. rule — government
  22. content — happy
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a partner

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