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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — the most important part
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — a box
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — in music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. key — for a lock

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