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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 116 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: stem · root · drill · bore · pound · lie · fall · can

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. stem — to come from
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fall — the season
  11. lie — to recline
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fall — to drop

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