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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to drill

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