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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a word
  3. bore — to drill
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — to tire
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — the cause
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — for spectators

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