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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · content · dip · mine · root · lie · toast

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — of a word
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. key — in music
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. content — the amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — happy
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — bread
  22. bound — tied together
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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