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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.

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: mine · bore · pop · nail · mark · wind · roll · root

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bore — to tire
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. root — of a word
  13. roll — a cake
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wind — moving air
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wind — moving air

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