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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. last — to go on
  9. present — a gift
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — there
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — certain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. last — finally
  19. fine — high quality
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — obliged
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — all right

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