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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: wound · object · root · mate · roll · capital · bore · rush

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. root — of a word
  3. object — an aim
  4. roll — a list
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. capital — money
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bore — to tire
  24. object — to protest

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