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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. root — of a word
  2. bound — certain
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. branch — a division
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — a series
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — thin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. rash — hasty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  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