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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bound — certain
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. temple — side of the head

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