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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 · rash · kid · rule · fan · pop · can · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. can — to be able to
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — a law
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — government
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kid — child
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pop — music

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