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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. root — the cause
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. sharp — clever

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