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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — to tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chest — a box
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chest — of your body

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