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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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