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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — the season

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