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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pop — to visit
  5. present — the time now
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. present — there
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hand — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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