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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — help
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — of a word
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — certain
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger

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