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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. root — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bore — to tire
  7. land — a country
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — a box
  14. staff — employees
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — in music
  19. root — of a word
  20. staff — a stick
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — the fruit

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