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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. content — happy
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — for a lock
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. root — of a word
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. current — of water
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. current — happening now
  22. ground — a position
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ground — crushed

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