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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: club · root · band · chair · dip · bound · last · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. last — final
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — finally
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. club — a group
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — of a word
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. last — to go on
  18. lean — thin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. root — of a plant

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