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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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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 · root · mug · bear · chair · spell · bulb · fall

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — certain
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — the season
  24. root — the cause

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