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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — of water
  3. present — there
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — to tire
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — for digging
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — thin
  24. present — the time now

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