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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 · tube · bore · wind · roll · present · ground · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — the cause
  4. ground — crushed
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. root — of a word
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — a container
  13. bore — to tire
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — the earth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. roll — a cake
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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