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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — to rip
  4. root — of a word
  5. cap — a hat
  6. root — the cause
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. season — in sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. root — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. season — of the year

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