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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · root · charge · content · hide · wound · tube · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — happy
  24. tube — a container

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