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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. object — a thing
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — of water
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a document
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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