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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — a coil
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chest — a box
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — in sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. roll — a cake
  19. root — the cause
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — of water
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. root — of a word

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