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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — to get on
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a word
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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