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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.

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: cell · cap · bound · hand · bark · root · pass · bore

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bound — certain
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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