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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — to fit
  4. root — the cause
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. key — for a lock
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to confront
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — of a word
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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