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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: rock · object · root · bound · mouse · patient · nail · file

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — a stone
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a document
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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