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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — of a word
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a plant
  6. band — a music group
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — thin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mate — a partner

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