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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bore — to tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — to come from
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — a division
  12. date — the fruit
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — a law
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. rule — to rule out

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