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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. root — of a plant
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. root — of a word
  16. firm — steady
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cold — not warm

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