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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — the cause
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — electric
  15. file — a document
  16. current — happening now
  17. root — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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