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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — a series
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a word
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. spring — of water
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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