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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. scale — size or range
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — a grade
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — happy
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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