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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — the cause
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. net — after costs
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a word
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — in sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — for catching

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