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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. hand — help
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. root — the cause
  15. craft — a skill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tube — the underground

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