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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — a video
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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