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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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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. root — of a word
  4. key — for a lock
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — of a plant
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — to cool the 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