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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — of a word
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — certain

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