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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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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: ball · trunk · chest · board · object · bore · dip · cabinet

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — to protest
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — a box
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — an aim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a car

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