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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — the cause
  7. present — there
  8. firm — a company
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — decided
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — happy
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — a gift
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — the time now

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