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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
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: fan · root · rest · pop · drill · wax · nail · racket

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a word
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. pop — soda
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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