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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. root — of a word
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — the cause
  9. bank — for money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cap — a lid
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stem — a stem cell

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