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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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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: wound · content · kid · leaves · can · root · bear · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — child
  8. pound — a weight
  9. content — happy
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. can — to be able to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — the amount
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — the cause

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