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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to tire
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — in football
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kick — with a leg

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