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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. land — a country
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. row — a line
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. root — of a word

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