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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — letters
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. suit — to fit

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