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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bore — to tire
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — to bear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. root — the cause
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. shower — rain
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — for sport
  24. shower — to wash

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