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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — of a word
  17. rule — government
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. shower — to wash
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. plane — a tool

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