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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 116 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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — steady
  7. root — of a word
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. fall — the season
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. root — of a plant

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