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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: root · coach · kid · roll · bulb · saw · drill · mine

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. root — the cause
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — for light
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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