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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: root · mouse · temple · mark · rule · bore · drill · date

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. drill — army training
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rule — government
  24. date — on the calendar

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