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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: hide · bear · root · wound · land · saw · roll · bound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. root — the cause
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. land — a country
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. land — to come down

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