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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bound — obliged
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mine — for digging
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — rain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bound — tied together

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