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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. clip — for paper
  9. root — of a plant
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a skill
  18. clip — a video
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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