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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. plane — a tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to tire

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