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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. bound — certain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. last — finally
  17. cold — not warm
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — for digging
  24. last — final

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