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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 116 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: root · trunk · dip · rock · tube · cold · bay · board

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. root — the cause
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cold — not warm
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cold — an illness
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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