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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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 plant
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. net — for catching
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — after costs

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