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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 · wind · row · dip · key · file · bore · racket

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — in music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — a line
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — the most important part
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. file — a line of people
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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