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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — the cause
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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