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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.

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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: march · kid · drill · board · root · lean · cue · trunk

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. root — of a word
  7. lean — thin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a committee
  10. kid — child
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — army training
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. drill — the tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. drill — a practice

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