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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — of water
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. root — of a word
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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