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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. face — to confront
  19. root — of a word
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bore — to drill

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