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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — the cause
  16. chest — a box
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cap — of ice

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