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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: dip · pop · root · bore · nail · degree · leaves · tear

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — from a university
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. tear — to rip

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