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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — humankind
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bound — certain
  11. clip — for paper
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — to cut
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. net — after costs
  24. race — a contest

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