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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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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: shower · face · root · fork · drill · pound · bore · leaves

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fork — in a road
  11. face — to confront
  12. drill — army training
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bore — to tire
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — to point toward
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. drill — the tool
  24. leaves — lets stay

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