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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
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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: mate · lash · root · rock · cold · bulb · wake · bore

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mate — to breed
  24. root — of a word

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