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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — certain
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — the cause
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bat — in an idiom

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