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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — tied together
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. root — of a word

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