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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. wind — moving air
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. present — there
  23. root — the cause
  24. present — a gift

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