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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. board — a committee
  6. content — happy
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — the season
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — electric
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — of water
  16. root — of a word
  17. cell — a phone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — to get on

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