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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rule — government
  17. kid — child
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a word
  24. clip — to cut

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