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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 116 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — the amount
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bore — to tire
  21. file — a tool
  22. content — happy
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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