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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 124 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. capital — a city
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — the cause

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