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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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 plant
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — the cause
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a document
  23. hand — help
  24. squash — the vegetable

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