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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · drill · bore · root · coach · bowl · sharp · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — to tire
  3. sharp — clever
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spell — letters
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. root — the cause
  18. drill — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. clip — to cut
  24. root — of a word

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