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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. spell — magic
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — not warm
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — to recline
  18. land — ground
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — letters
  22. land — a country
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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