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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a word
  4. swing — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. drill — army training
  16. root — the cause
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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