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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. row — a line
  14. rest — a break
  15. row — to paddle
  16. face — part of the head
  17. root — of a word
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. face — to confront

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