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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — the cause
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chest — a box
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a word
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bound — certain
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — electricity
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. charge — in control
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — obliged

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