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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: craft · bore · net · wound · coach · root · tube · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — the cause
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — boats
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — for catching

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