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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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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: bulb · drill · bound · pass · sharp · root · rash · wave

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. drill — a practice
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rash — hasty
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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