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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — a friend
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — the season
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rock — music
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — the tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — hurry

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