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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a word
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — government
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — the cause
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lie — an untruth
  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