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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. root — of a plant
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — a path
  5. rest — a break
  6. root — of a word
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. press — a publisher
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — to push
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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