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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.

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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a line
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bark — to shout
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. root — the cause
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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