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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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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: content · kid · cell · drill · bore · trunk · board · root

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — army training
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. board — a committee
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. board — to get on
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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