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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. root — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — of a word
  12. tear — from crying
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — certain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  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