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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: bank · race · mouse · pitcher · bound · trunk · lash · root

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. race — humankind
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — a contest
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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