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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — to cut
  8. swing — music
  9. clip — a video
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — a break
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — to play on
  21. clip — for paper
  22. root — of a word
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — to hit hard

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