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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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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: bound · leaves · mate · firm · chair · chest · root · cell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. firm — steady
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bound — obliged
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. root — of a word
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chair — a leader
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — certain
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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