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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — the month
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — obliged
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a great time

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