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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. root — of a word
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mate — to breed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a document
  21. mate — a friend
  22. object — a thing
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rock — a stone

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