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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. can — to be able to
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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