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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — a phone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — animal skin

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