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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — part of the head
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — a division
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. rest — a break
  13. track — a path
  14. root — the cause
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — a list
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of a tree

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