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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bore — to tire
  12. deal — to handle
  13. last — to go on
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — of a plant
  16. last — finally
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ball — a dance
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pit — in a race

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