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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. march — music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — certain
  14. root — the cause
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. march — the month
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — tied together
  24. object — a thing

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