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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wind — moving air
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — soda
  14. drill — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — to get on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — to visit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a committee

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