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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: track · shower · bore · chest · craft · arm · trunk · bank

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — boats
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chest — a box
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — of a river

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