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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — to drill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. sharp — clever

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