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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — to recline

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