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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wind — moving air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — a position
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — of a word
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — in music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cap — of ice

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