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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: mouse · bore · root · lash · last · chest · hide · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. last — final
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — finally
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — to go on

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