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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. content — the amount
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — clothes
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — happy
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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