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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chip — to eat
  19. root — of a plant
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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