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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — thin
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — happy
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a word
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. root — of a plant

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