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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — the amount
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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