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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: root · object · bound · sharp · chair · swing · chest · wake

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bound — certain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. object — an aim
  10. root — the cause
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. swing — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — a thing
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chair — a leader
  23. object — to protest
  24. chair — to sit on

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