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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a line of people
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. file — a tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. net — in sport

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