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

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bound — certain
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — an illness
  6. scale — size or range
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. root — of a word
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — the cause
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — the time now
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. root — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. date — the fruit

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