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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — an injury
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — certain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wake — a trail

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