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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — to crush
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — of a river
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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