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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 120 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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. field — farmland
  8. mate — to breed
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to tire
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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