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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. object — to protest
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. last — finally
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. net — for catching
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — an aim
  21. last — final
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. net — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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