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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — happening now
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. root — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hand — help
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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