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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · last · file · drill · kid · trunk · tube · root

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. root — the cause
  3. kid — child
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. object — a thing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — final
  10. object — to protest
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — finally
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — the tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. object — an aim

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