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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · ball · bay · face · roll · root · file · bore

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. file — a tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. file — a line of people
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ball — a dance
  20. file — a document
  21. roll — a list
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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