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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — a gift
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a word
  24. game — a kind of play

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