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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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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: safe · bound · wind · pass · root · suit · last · band

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — clothes
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — final
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. pass — a permit
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a ring

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