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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — in music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — rain
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a word
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. key — the most important part

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