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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: root · tear · stand · stick · present · bore · dip · board

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a committee
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — the cause
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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