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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 · squash · straw · date · mouse · bore · cap · bank

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bore — gave birth

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