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

Word bank: arm · dip · bore · ruler · root · rock · wind · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. root — of a word
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — a stone
  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