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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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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: lash · bore · stick · pit · sharp · root · stem · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — in a race
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bore — to drill

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