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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: scale · clip · bore · bound · dip · root · cold · stick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bound — obliged
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cold — not warm
  8. root — of a word
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. scale — in music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — size or range
  21. clip — a video
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cold — an illness

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