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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.

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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: stick · kid · safe · wax · roll · root · board · drill

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — child
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — to tease
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a word
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — the cause

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