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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. root — the cause
  24. rash — a series

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