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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — the cause
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bound — obliged
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — certain
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — final
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — a cup
  22. last — finally
  23. mug — to rob
  24. can — a tin

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