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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · file · mate · rash · dip · root · bore · season

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a document
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — of the year
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — of a word
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mate — to breed
  23. file — a tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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