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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. shower — rain
  2. can — to be able to
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. root — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  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