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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a line of people
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — an injury
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a word
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. march — music
  15. file — a document
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — an injury

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