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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · fall · content · cap · bound · rash

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — the cause
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fall — the season
  6. cap — a lid
  7. content — the amount
  8. bound — certain
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cap — a hat

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