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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a music group
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. root — the cause
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — in control
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. band — a ring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — of a word
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to click
  23. root — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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