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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — the cause
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — the season
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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