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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bore — to drill
  4. present — the time now
  5. net — after costs
  6. root — the cause
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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