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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — there
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — the time now
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — the season
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — of a word
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — child
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — of a plant

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