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

Word bank: track · bay · swing · foot · wax · bound · root · cell

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — the cause
  9. bound — certain
  10. track — a path
  11. root — of a word
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. swing — music

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