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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. file — a line of people
  8. root — of a word
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. face — to confront
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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