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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: game · hide · fall · mark · mate · cell · bore · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cell — a phone
  5. root — of a word
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — animal skin

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