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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rash — a series
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — tied together
  21. drill — a practice
  22. root — of a word
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — army training

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