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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — a coil
  13. root — of a word
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — the cause
  18. bore — to tire
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spring — the season
  22. rest — a break
  23. spring — of water
  24. club — for golf

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