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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bound · game · root · last · chest · mark · wax · bay

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chest — a box
  15. wax — to grow
  16. last — to go on
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. last — final
  24. bound — tied together

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