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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: toast · kid · calf · stem · drill · root · mark · rock

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — the cause
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — a stone
  24. toast — bread

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