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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: drill · hide · root · bear · trunk · nail · saw · wake

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — the cause
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. saw — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — the tool

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