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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — the cause
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tear — to rip
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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