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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — a tool
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rock — music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bound — certain
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — a contest
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. race — humankind
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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