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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: race · bank · shower · content · date · bore · trunk · bulb

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — the arms race
  14. content — the amount
  15. shower — to wash
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — happy
  19. shower — rain
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — a contest

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