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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 120 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: tube · lean · bass · root · capital · mark · bore · trunk

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bass — low music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — a container
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. capital — money
  24. mark — a trace

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