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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. charge — a price
  14. bore — to drill
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — the 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