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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: fall · root · foot · date · bore · clip · rush · dip

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. clip — a video
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bore — to drill
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — for paper
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — the season
  24. bore — gave birth

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