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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — a law
  4. rest — a break
  5. bore — to tire
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rule — government
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mug — a face

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