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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. face — to confront
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a word
  19. pound — a weight
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pound — to hit hard

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