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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. root — the cause
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — a series
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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