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

Word bank: root · bore · tear · leaves · snap · coach · mark · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — to handle
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  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