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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. bound — certain
  7. row — a line
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bound — tied together
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — the cause
  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