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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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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: deal · trunk · patient · root · board · lie · band · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. root — the cause
  16. drill — a practice
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a music group
  19. board — to get on
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a committee
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a car

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