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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a ring
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — obliged
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. band — a music group

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