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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a word
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bore — to tire
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cold — an illness
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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