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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — there
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — certain
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. root — the cause
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bound — tied together
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — a price
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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