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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a word
  6. shower — to wash
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — clever
  9. shower — rain
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — a weight
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to drill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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