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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: tear · root · band · hand · season · bore · trunk · fine

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — help
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — all right
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — high quality
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. band — a ring
  23. tear — from crying
  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