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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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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 · trunk · root · jam · hand · snap · content · plane

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. root — the cause
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hand — help
  5. content — the amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to click
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. content — happy
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. bound — certain
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. plane — in geometry

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