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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a word
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — government
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. swing — music

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