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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 124 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bound — certain
  5. last — final
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. root — the cause
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — finally
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — clever

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