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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 120 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — the cause
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — of ice
  19. content — the amount
  20. cap — a lid
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — for spectators

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