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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. root — of a word
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — of a plant
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a path
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — thin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to rest against

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