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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: trunk · race · tube · chair · bore · ruler · ball · leaves

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a great time
  5. race — humankind
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. race — the arms race
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a round shape

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