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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. suit — to fit
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. drill — army training
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — to drill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a hole
  24. leaves — to go away

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