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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: stick · wind · fan · jam · bore · chest · leaves · root

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. root — of a word
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chest — a box
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to tire
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chest — of your body

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