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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. root — the cause
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a ring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tube — a container
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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