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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. root — the cause
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rock — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. clip — for paper

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