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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: roll · root · bore · wind · vault · drill · dip · craft

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to sink
  7. craft — boats
  8. root — the cause
  9. craft — a skill
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. roll — a list
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — of a word
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bore — to tire
  24. roll — a cake

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