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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: drill · can · lean · root · mate · coach · face · pound

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — of a word
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pound — a weight
  24. root — the cause

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