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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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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: squash · ground · bay · rest · bound · fall · drill · root

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — a break
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — army training
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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