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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bore — to drill
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a word
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. date — the fruit

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