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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bore — to drill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — to spend time

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