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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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