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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: bore · root · stem · bark · pass · kid · bay · spring

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — a permit
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — to drill

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