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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. root — the cause
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — of a word
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. file — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. roll — a list
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — a permit

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