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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · bay · root · date · rush · ball · bear · lean

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. root — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — the amount
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lean — thin
  7. content — happy
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ball — a round shape

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