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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: face · bore · swing · lie · pop · bear · spring · root

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — soda
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spring — a coil
  22. face — to confront
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to point toward

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