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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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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: ball · bound · root · spell · bore · safe · dip · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a word
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a great time
  7. root — the cause
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bound — obliged
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — to tire

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