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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.

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: drill · root · bore · coach · prune · mug · object · straw

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — the tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bore — to drill
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — to rob
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — an aim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — a straw man

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