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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — help
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spell — magic
  14. root — of a plant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. root — of a word
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — to drill

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