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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. object — to protest
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — thin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — the time now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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