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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. present — there
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — in cards
  11. file — a line of people
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. file — a tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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