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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 116 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: bore · kick · stand · tube · trunk · net · mine · ground

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. net — after costs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tube — a container
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — on your feet

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