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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a song
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — happy
  11. bound — certain
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — the cause
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — the amount
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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