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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · lean · saw · root · firm · mouse · trunk · capital

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. capital — money
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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