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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · perch · bore · track · spring · hide · chair · root

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — of a word
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — a coil
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spring — of water

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