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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.

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: rock · drill · root · degree · lash · bark · coach · plane

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — the cause
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — of a word
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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