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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: rest · present · leaves · mark · content · root · swing · wound

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. swing — music
  5. root — of a word
  6. present — the time now
  7. content — the amount
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. present — a gift
  16. content — happy
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — a grade
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — what's left

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