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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rule — government
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — for sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lash — to lash out

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