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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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