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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — tied together
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — the cause
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bulb — for light

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