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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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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 · drill · object · present · bay · cold · trunk · root

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — a thing
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. object — an aim
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. root — of a word
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cold — an illness
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — army training
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a plant
  20. present — there
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. present — a gift
  24. cold — not warm

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