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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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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: bulb · root · chest · band · stem · bound · wind · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — the cause
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. root — of a word
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chest — a box
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chest — of your body

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