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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — to come from
  13. band — a music group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mug — a face
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stem — a stem cell

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