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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: mouse · rush · trunk · bore · kick · pit · face · date

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. date — the fruit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — in football
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — a thrill

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