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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — the amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — electricity
  19. toast — bread
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — the animal
  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