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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — of a king
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — thin
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — for sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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