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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: root · bore · drill · object · pound · wind · stem · snap

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — army training
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to click
  9. pound — a weight
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — a practice
  20. object — a thing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a word
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — to hit hard

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