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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: bark · can · tube · bore · coach · root · mug · drill

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a cup
  21. root — of a word
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — the cause

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