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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.

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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: board · field · toast · root · bore · trunk · lash · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a committee
  10. wind — moving air
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. field — farmland
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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