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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a path
  10. lean — thin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. chest — of your body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. root — the cause
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bound — certain

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