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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — a break
  4. field — farmland
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — a subject
  20. root — of a word
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — on a finger

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