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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: cell · mouse · lie · content · board · root · key · rash

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cell — in biology
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a committee
  22. content — the amount
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — a series

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