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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. capital — money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — a tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — of a word
  23. rest — a break
  24. root — the cause

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