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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bound — obliged
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. toast — bread
  12. track — to keep track
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bore — to drill

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