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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a word
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. wind — moving air
  9. staff — a stick
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — certain
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mine — for digging

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