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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kick — in football
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — finally
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — final
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. march — the month
  18. root — the cause
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — to go on
  24. patient — a sick person

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