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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — happy
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — rain
  19. plane — a tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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