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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. key — in music
  17. root — the cause
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — to keep track
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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