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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. root — the cause
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to tire
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to drill

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