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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — a cake
  3. band — a music group
  4. content — happy
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. band — a ring
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — a list
  13. fall — to drop
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — the season
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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