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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
468
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: wave · root · squash · tube · drill · suit · straw · stock

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stock — shares
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. squash — to crush
  10. drill — army training
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — clothes
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — of a word
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — a practice

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