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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 · pitcher · toast · root · wind · bay · safe · temple

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. drill — army training
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. toast — bread
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wind — moving air

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