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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — rain
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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