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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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