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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. root — the cause
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — the time now
  5. bank — for money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — to paddle
  17. present — a gift
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — of a river

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