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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spell — a short time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — the arms race
  15. root — the cause
  16. foot — a measure
  17. race — a contest
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. root — of a word

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