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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — certain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. degree — temperature
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bound — obliged
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — the cause

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