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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — to drill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. root — of a word
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — to tire

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