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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — a division
  7. cue — a signal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a partner
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rule — a law

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