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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — finally
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hand — part of the body

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