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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. last — finally
  15. fine — all right
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. last — final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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