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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · root · pass · trunk · bore · race · leaves · rash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — to spend time

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