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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — of a word
  4. game — a match
  5. root — the cause
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bound — certain
  9. shower — rain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — of the year
  14. rest — a break
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. season — in sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — to wash

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