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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 · rock · bore · kick · plane · cabinet · root · wound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. rock — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — the cause
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — in football
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  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