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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. root — of a word
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. clip — for paper
  11. suit — clothes
  12. root — the cause
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — in cards
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay

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