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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — the cause
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — in football
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. scale — size or range
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — in music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — of a word

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