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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. root — of a word
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — a container
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — tied together
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — a straw man

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