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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — a country
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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