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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to tire
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — to drill
  14. root — the cause
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. root — of a plant

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