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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — the cause
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — certain
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — moving air
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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