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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chair — a leader
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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