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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.

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: chest · mine · squash · toast · rock · root · bound · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. squash — to crush
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mine — for digging
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chest — a box
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. mine — an explosive

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