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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: drill · cap · staff · dip · ruler · chest · root · wind

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — of ice
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. drill — army training
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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