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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 120 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: drill · fine · bark · key · tube · lean · nail · root

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — in music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — a practice
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — high quality
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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