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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. root — the cause
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — letters
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — obliged
  24. staff — a stick

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