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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. root — the cause
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — in cards

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