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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — the amount
  9. root — of a word
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. root — the cause
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — happy
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mine — for digging

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