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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 120 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: nail · board · bark · hide · wave · drill · cue · root

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — for pool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — a practice
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — a flat piece

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