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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — in control
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — to put up with

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