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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. object — an aim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — to tire
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — there
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — thin
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — a gift
  24. root — of a plant

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