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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lean — thin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — certain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. key — for a lock
  12. content — happy
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. root — of a word
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — in music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bound — tied together

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