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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — of a word
  16. mate — a friend
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kick — a thrill

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