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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 116 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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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: hand · root · cold · bay · bore · craft · trunk · drill

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — army training
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hand — help
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cold — an illness
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — of a word

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