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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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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: mine · bore · wake · root · racket · lie · roll · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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