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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. pass — a permit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — magic
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — a short time
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bore — to drill

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