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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to drill
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mug — to rob
  19. root — the cause
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fall — the season
  24. mug — a face

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