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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — a company
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rest — a break
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — steady
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. safe — out of danger

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