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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · mug · drill · leaves · land · wave · root · fork

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. land — a country
  11. mug — to rob
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fork — in a road
  18. root — the cause
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chest — a box
  21. land — ground
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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