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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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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: track · root · bore · trunk · bowl · straw · mouse · lie

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — to drill
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. track — to keep track
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. straw — dry grass

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