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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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468
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: drill · degree · present · trunk · bore · root · sharp · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — there
  9. vault — a safe
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. degree — an amount
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — the time now
  24. degree — temperature

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