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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — in cards
  12. root — the cause
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a hat

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