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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: bay · root · staff · kid · press · drill · charge · bore

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — electricity
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — to push
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. root — the cause
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. kid — child
  16. charge — a price
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. root — of a word
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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