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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rule — government
  5. row — a line
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — a law
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — to paddle
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. spring — the season
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — obliged
  24. root — of a word

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