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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. root — of a word
  10. court — for sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — a gift
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wind — moving air

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