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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. toast — bread
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — help
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chest — a box
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. toast — the most admired

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