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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 112 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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