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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bore — to drill
  3. root — the cause
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wax — to grow
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — a weight
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — clever
  22. date — the fruit
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — on the calendar

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