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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. root — of a word
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — happening now
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — a stick
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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