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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — the cause
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — in cards
  7. root — of a word
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bore — to tire
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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