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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spring — the season
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spring — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — a coil
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — of a word
  21. tube — the underground
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — in traffic

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