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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — to drill
  8. present — the time now
  9. face — to point toward
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a skill
  14. court — of law
  15. present — there
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — part of the head

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