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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — a coil
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — in control
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. band — a music group

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