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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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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: firm · bowl · staff · land · nail · bore · root · shower

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — a stick
  5. land — ground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a word
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. land — a country
  11. bore — to tire
  12. land — to come down
  13. shower — rain
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. root — the cause
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. nail — on a finger

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