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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · current · leaves · root · game · lie · content · degree

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. game — a match
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — from a university
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. degree — temperature
  20. content — happy
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. lie — to recline

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