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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — in control
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hand — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hand — help
  21. rest — a break
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — the cause
  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