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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · root · track · bound · nail · cold · bore · snap

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — certain
  4. cold — not warm
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — the cause
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. root — of a plant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cold — an illness
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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