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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · mate · fall · tube · scale · pit · rock · bore

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — a stone

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