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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lean — thin
  13. snap — to click
  14. file — a document
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. file — a tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bowl — a dish

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