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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a word
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — of the year
  20. rash — hasty
  21. root — the cause
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. staff — a stick

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